Chapter 14 of Two little travellers is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Two little travellers is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AT EVENING TIME. "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more? We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before. "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead." --LONGFELLOW.
Chapter 14 of Two little travellers is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
plural of “ballad” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading “"Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."”
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.”
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading “We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.”
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading “"Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."”
United States poet remembered for his long narrative poems (1807-1882)
From this reading “--LONGFELLOW.”
plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading “"Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."”
the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy
From this reading “"Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."”
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading “We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT EVENING TIME.
plural of “ballad” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
earlier than; in front of
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
absence of light or illumination
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading AT EVENING TIME.
at any time
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
United States poet remembered for his long narrative poems (1807-1882)
From this reading --LONGFELLOW.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
not any; not one
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading AT EVENING TIME.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading We should dread the desert behind us Worse than the dark before.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading "Ye are better than all the ballads That ever were sung or said; For ye are living poems, And all the rest are dead."
Chapter 14 of Two little travellers by Frances Browne Arthur holds 179 sentences, grouped into 36 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 14 holds 179 sentences of Two little travellers, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Two little travellers by Frances Browne Arthur exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 179 sentences, grouped into 36 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Two little travellers by Frances Browne Arthur on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2520 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25972 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25972, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 210 minutes of reading across 504 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Two little travellers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Two little travellers to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Two little travellers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
